Slowly, then All at Once
by futurescreenwriter11
Summary: "Marriage? Mother, you can't be serious." The red head groaned, dropping on the bed dramatically. "I am deathly serious, Fergus, and stand up straight." How Elinor and Fergus met, fell in love, and married...not necessarily in that order.
1. An Announcement

"Marriage? Already? Mother, you can't be serious." The red head groaned, dropping on the bed dramatically.

"I am deathly serious, Fergus, and stand up straight." His mother said, primly picking up the sword that he had dropped and expertly sheathing it. Various bits of weaponry were scattered about the circular stonewalled room, intermixed with discarded clothes and bits of food.

Fergus sat up in the bed and picked up another sword that had been lying about, spinning it about and drilling a small hole in the wooden floor. "Why now? MacGuffin has been betrothed for two years and he's not married yet."

Betha sighed and sat down next to Fergus, her skirts managing to avoid the sword. "The death of your father, rest his soul, changed many things for us, Fergus." She laid a gentle hand on his back. "We need a strong front for both our enemies and our people, we also need friends and an alliance with the Macintoshes will do just that. The sooner the marriage can be arranged, the better."

"But why a Macintosh?" Fergus said, standing up and facing his mum. He began to pace around and swing the sword again as if having an imaginary duel with the frustrating Ean Macintosh, future leader of his clan just as Fergus was of his. The last thing Fergus wanted, besides being married at all, was to be related to that obnoxious buffoon.

"You were the one who won the contest for her hand." Betha offered, leaning back when a swing cam too close.

"It's not like I had to try very hard!"

"Even still, you and the young Lady Macintosh have been betrothed for several months now."

"Betrothals are broken all the time!" he said, still having an imaginary duel. "Why couldn't I marry Lorna MacGuffin? She's…pretty…" his speech slowed as he pondered a life with Lorna MacGuffin, beautiful but empty as a flower pot Lorna MacGuffin. She may have been his best mate's sister, but that still didn't help much. He grimaced.

"That wouldn't make you happy, Fergus. I know you." Betha said, smiling slightly. Fergus glanced at his mum and frowned, lunging at his invisible opponent. "I do have your happiness in mind, but we also need to consider the practical parts, as well. The Macintoshes are a strong clan that we need to strengthen our bond with, and we need friends now."

Fergus could tell that he was beaten; he still attempted one last defense. "But…Macintosh?"

"Would you rather have Morag of Dingwall?" Betha suggested, a teasing twinkle in her eye. Fergus looked at his mother in horror. She smiled and nodded. "Thought so. An alliance with the Macintoshes can bring nothing but good for us, and them."

"Fine." Fergus grumbled, defeating the invisible Ean with a swift thrust. Betha put her hand over Fergus's, taking the sword away and standing up.

"I know it's been many months since you've seen each other, and that you never had a chance to talk. But I think it will be for the best, Fergus. I really do."

* * *

The pounding of her horse's hooves on the ground of the forest echoed through her body. For a moment she could almost feel as if they were one, jumping over logs, ducking under branches, pushing to the brink of impossible. But the castle came into view all too quickly.

"One final push, Angus." She told him, gripping tightly as he ran faster, now dodging carts and people. She almost fell off when Angus came to a quick stop by his stall and she rolled off, chuckling and pushing her hair out of her eyes.

"Elinor?" one of the grooms, Finlay, come around the edge of the stall. "You're wanted up at the castle." Elinor stopped smiling and stood up, several pieces of hay stuck in her hair.

"I'll be up to dinner in a minute, _Mum_, I need to rub down Angus." She said, ducking behind the horse. He frowned and stepped forward.

"I can take care of it, you should go up to the hall right now." He insisted. Elinor paused; usually Finlay always teased her, it was rare to see him so serious.

"They can wait a minute or two."

"You didn't hear your mum. She wanted you as soon as you came back."

Elinor sighed and rubbed Angus's soft nose.

"I'll bring you an apple later, boy, I promise." She said, wondering what was so important. She stepped away from Angus and tried not to notice that he'd followed expectantly.

"I'll take good care of him, your mighty holiness." Finlay answered, leaning against his rake and smiling smugly at Elinor. She flushed a little. "At least till you can get back here and redo everything that I did."

She smiled brightly at him. "Thank you! Be back soon, boy." She said, picking up her skirts and darting for the hill.

"Was that for me or for Angus?" Finlay shouted up to her. Elinor smiled back over her shoulder as she darted in the door to the kitchen.

She nodded to several of the cooks, and snagged an apple before entering the large hall where the family was dining. Her older brother, Ean, didn't even look up from his food that he was shoveling into his mouth as she sat down.

"Thank you for joining us, Elinor." Kenna, her mother, said primly.

"Is there a reason I had to let Finlay take care of Angus?" Elinor replied, a bit out of breath.

"Yes, your father has some important news for you. Col?"

Col looked up from the scroll that he had been reading and glanced between Kenna and Elinor, who could feel a very heavy weight settle in her stomach.

"Yes, hmm." He cleared his throat and set down the scroll. "Your sixteenth birthday is quickly approaching, Elinor, and as such now is the time that all of your years of preparation will come to fruition."

He paused as if expecting Elinor to interject, but she merely stared. She had a sneaking suspicion what he was saying, but maybe if she pretended otherwise it wouldn't happen. She glanced to her mother, who looked happier that she had ever seen her. Ean was at least looking up from his food.

"So in four weeks time," Kenna continued for her husband, "you will marry the young Lord DunBroch."

The weight in Elinor's stomach expanded threefold, as Ean choked on his mouthful of meat.

"DunBroch? Did you say DunBroch?" he asked around his food, acquiring a disapproving look from his Mum.

"Yes, the young Lord who won the contest for her hand."

"I thought they were just betrothed!" Ean said, setting down his food.

"I know it's a very short betrothal but-" she stopped as Ean stood up quickly.

"She's actually marrying that loud-mouthed barbarian Fergus?" he shouted.

"Ean, sit down!" Col bellowed.

"Why in the name of the spirits did you decide that he would actually marry her? She'd be better off marrying a stable boy!"

Thankfully, neither parent noticed the deep blush that ran across Elinor's face.

"Ean, we cannot speak of the DunBroch clan that way. We have an alliance with them now." Kenna tried to quietly persuade, but Col overpowered her.

"My judgment will not be questioned by a whelp like you!" he shouted, jumping out of his seat. Elinor quickly ducked out of the hall, as her mother was distracted trying to hold apart Ean and Col.

Later that night, Elinor sat on the roof of the castle watching the nearby river lazily drift past. The stars were already twinkling above in a rare clear night as Ean opened the hatch and spotted her.

"Here you are." He said, dropping down next to her. He pulled out an apple and a sweet bun from his sporran. "I noticed you didn't get much to eat at dinner." Elinor looked at it but shook her head; her stomach was too twisted to eat at the moment. Ean raised his eyebrows but shrugged and bit into the apple.

"Ean…" Elinor began.

"What?" he answered around a mouthful of apple.

"Is Lord DunBroch really a loud-mouthed barbarian?" she glanced at him. He took another bite.

"Well, he's not particularly eloquent." Elinor brushed away the spray of apple juice that landed on her cheek. "He _is _handy with a blade, I have to admit."

"I saw him at the contest." She said, resting her chin on her knees, "Was he the one that bested you in the tournament you went to last winter?"

"He barely beat me." He insisted before eating some more.

Elinor sighed. "I just…I don't know why Mum and Dad thought that all of sudden now was the time for me to get married. And why outside of the clan?"

Ean was solemn for a moment, looking at his little sister. "Because it's our duty. That's part of being a clan leader. It might make you happier to go off and marry that Finlay." Elinor blushed and Ean grinned. "But in the long run, that's not what is best for the clan."

Elinor frowned and looked away. "I see." She said quietly. Ean finished the apple and tossed it out into the river with a quiet splash. He whooped and looked to see Elinor's reaction, but she was still caught up in her own thoughts.


	2. First Impressions

Fergus dunked the comb in water again and ran it through his curly red hair. His mother made him keep it short to keep it manageable, and most of the time he didn't even think about it. But it was moments like these that he wished it would lie flat, or at least look like he tried. He looked at it again in the polished silver mirror he'd borrowed from Mum. It looked a little better, precious little.

Fergus looked up when he heard chuckling coming from the doorway. He grinned at his friend, young Lord MacGuffin.

"Tell me honestly, Dirk, how bad does it look?"

"Well, you look like you've just been for a swim." Dirk said, laughing now. Fergus punched him and Dirk captured his head, rubbing his fist into Fergus's head.

"You're just gonna make it worse!" Fergus cried, struggling free. He picked up the mirror and his hair had indeed returned to its natural wild state.

"Cheer up, mate. She was bound to see you like this eventually." Dirk consoled, managing to look at least a little repentant. Fergus frowned and set down the mirror.

"What are you doing here anyway? I thought the rest of the clans weren't going to be here till nearer to the…" he paused and swallowed, "Wedding feast."

Dirk shrugged and handed Fergus the belt that had been lying on his bed. "Dad gave me permission to come early. I think he figured you'd want me here."

Fergus sighed and nodded. "Never thought this would happen so soon. Most betrothals last at least a year." He said, wrapping the belt around himself. He picked up two of the more decorative pins off the table and showed them to Dirk.

"The left one." Dirk said, pointing to the one that had a miniature sword for a clasp. "We knew it would happen eventually. And I met Elinor two years ago at a tournament, she's really not that bad."

"Really?" Fergus perked up considerably. "You talked to her?"

"Well, not really. Now that I think about it, she didn't say two words to me."

"Great." Fergus dropped up on the bed and plucked at a bowstring he'd been drying between his bedposts.

"But you can talk enough for the both of you." Dirk teased, sitting in the nearby chair. Fergus leveled a look at him.

"It's one thing if it's you…or Mum…" he muttered looking down and shaking his head. "I never know what to say…this is going to be a disaster."

"The wedding or the marriage?"

"Both!" They turned when a loud sound came from outside. Fergus leaped off the bed and pushed Dirk aside to get the view out of the window. The Macintosh clan was arriving.

"Don't worry, Fergus." Dirk said, pushing him to look out the window. "One look at me and Elinor won't want to marry you anymore."

Fergus growled and leapt at Dirk, pinning him to the ground and knocking over a table. Dirk pushed him over just as Betha walked in.

"Boys." She said, sighing and calmly folding her hands. The two large young men looked up.

"Sorry, Mum." Fergus said from where Dirk had sat on him.

"If you would care to come and welcome our guests." She held a hand out the door. Dirk disengaged himself and quickly left the room. Betha grabbed Fergus's arm and made him bend over. "Did you even try to fix your hair?" she asked, attempting to flatten it. But it would not be tamed, and stood up even more. She recognized the losing battle and settled for taking his face in her hands. "It will work out for the best, dear. I promise."

Fergus nodded and followed behind her to the throne room, taking his place in front of the central throne. It still felt strange in this seat, like it didn't quite belong to him. The drums of the approaching clan sounded outside the doors and Fergus straightened up, putting on a stern visage and hoping that no one would be able to see just how scared he was.

The doors burst open and the noise increased ten-fold. Warriors, farmers, tradesmen filled the room, stepping to either side of the dais to make an aisle for their leader and his family. They came very last, Fergus quickly surveyed Lord Macintosh, his Lady, and the infuriating Ean. But he stopped when he came to Elinor. His mouth opened a little and every noise in the room seemed to fade away.

He had seen very little of her at the contest for her hand, and he remembered even less. But now that he actually gazed upon her, he would never forget it. Her long dark hair was in a single plait pushed over her shoulder. She wore a maroon dress that fit her just right with silver embroidery about the edges. But it was her face that really caught Fergus' attention. She seemed calm, capable, intelligent, and …royal. Everything that Fergus was not, a bitter reminded him.

Dirk strained over the heads of the Macintosh clan to see Elinor, but there were too many. What he could see clearly was his friend's face, and Dirk smiled. _Good to see he's not too scared of her,_ he thought observing Fergus's rapt expression.


	3. A Feast

Given that it was summer, the welcome feast had been prepared for outdoors, which suited Elinor much better. This many Scotsmen cooped up in one space tended to make the room smell right foul. At least outside there was a fresh breath of air, and plenty of games, which kept people moving around. Not that she could partake, though she longed to when she saw a horse race being set up. She hoped that Finlay would take good care of Angus in her absence.

It wasn't the wedding feast, so she wasn't seated next to Fergus, but on the other side of the curved head table. She sat next to Ean who hadn't spoken a word and maintained a murderous expression, at least till the food was brought out. Occasionally, she would dare a glance at Lord DunBroch, who seemed to wear a permanent frown. Her memories of Fergus from when they all were very small were of a boy who laughed too much and had a hearty enjoyment for pranks. But the man who sat conferring with her father seemed nothing like the boy she remembered.

Eventually she wandered away from the table, not heading really anywhere. She observed several different games, and watched for a while as her brother bested every challenger he had in dueling. She laughed till she felt a presence by her side; she looked up to see Fergus watching the duel.

He glanced down and quickly looked away when their gazes met. They were silent as the duel continued, the silence growing more and more uncomfortable. Then they both tried to speak at once, but stopped again.

"You first, my lady." He said, quietly looking away.

"My brother is the best duelist in our clan." She mentally kicked herself. _What on earth made you say that? _"He's still bitter over the defeat you gave him at the tournament last winter." She amended, hoping that Ean wouldn't hear what she said. Fergus grunted and nodded. _Not very eloquent indeed, _she thought as the duel ended with Ean victorious once again.

"Anyone else brave enough to challenge me?" Ean said, calmly swinging his sword around and looking at the group gathered at the edge of the ring.

"I challenge you." Someone said behind him. Ean turned and his smug expression dropped as Fergus deftly leaped into the ring. A loud chorus of cheers came from the group and many more people immediately joined to watch, pushing Elinor to the very front row. "Can I borrow a sword?" he asked, stretching his arms and shoulders.

A sword was fetched and Fergus weighted it in his hand for a moment. He smiled and nodded, before turning to face Ean. They circled around each other for a minute; one would advance a step and the other feint back. The crowd grew quiet and the anticipation built for the first strike.

Ean thrust forward and Fergus parried it off to the side easily. It took two more strikes and Elinor realized that Ean had finally met his match. She'd seen him practice and compete for years, and it seemed that no one could best him till now. The duel grew more and more intense. Ean was the first to draw blood, scratching Fergus's left arm, causing half of the crowd to cheer and the other half to boo. As the duel continued, Elinor felt like she had seen enough and she fought her way out of the crowd back to the head table where Betha and Kenna were conversing.

"What is happening in the ring, Elinor?" Kenna asked as she sat down.

"Lord DunBroch and Ean are dueling." She said, sounding thoroughly uninterested.

"What?!" the two women proclaimed together before hopping up and running down to the ring. Elinor watched them for a bit, her mother attempted to get Col to stop the duel but he refused. Almost the entire camp was watching the match, so she felt like no one would miss her if she slipped up to her room.

Fergus wiped the sweat off of his face and jumped out of the path from another swing from Ean. He was beginning to feel tired, but Ean showed no signs of slowing as the attacks came fast and furiously. For a moment, he thought he heard his mother's voice in the crowd. But she was drowned out when Fergus lunged and swiped Ean's feet from beneath him. Fergus touched the tip of his blade to Ean's nose and smiled.

"Good duel." He reached down to take Ean's hand, which he did though grudgingly. Fergus looked around to see where Elinor was. She had been in the front row when the match started, which was partially why he challenged Ean. Show that he wasn't just a dunce; he was at least a dunce with a sword. But as his clan swarmed around him to congratulate him, he couldn't find her.

"Excellent job, Fergus!" Dirk shouted, slapping an arm around his shoulders.

"Have you seen Lady Elinor?" he shouted to him over the continual cheering. Dirk shook his head and stretched to look as well. He pointed towards the castle and Fergus saw her figure enter the side door. Suddenly, the victory felt a little empty.

The mood grew worse when the crowd dispersed and Betha and Kenna caught up to their sons. Kenna took Ean aside and began whispering and gesturing fiercely. Betha simply looked at Fergus silently for a long while, then simply said,

"Go clean yourself. You smell like the stables."

Dark was quickly approaching when Fergus left the ring, and the stars had twinkled on by the time he was clean. He lay in bed for a long while, trying to make himself sleep and trying not to think about Elinor. He wasn't very successful at either.


	4. Getting to Know You

Elinor woke up the next morning and stared at the rough wooden beams above her bed. She quietly mulled over the events of the day before in her mind. _This is going to be a disaster, _she finally decided. Fergus seemed stern and solemn, a better warrior than a potential husband. She felt a mood as gloomy as the weather outside settle over her as she finally got up.

Rain poured against the windows as she stood looking outside. If she were at home, she would have spent a day like this on Angus riding through the woods. But somehow that no longer seemed appropriate for an almost married woman to do. Kenna tried to engage her in some embroidery, but it just made her feel anxious and cooped up.

"You know, I don't think Lady Betha would mind if you explored the castle a bit." Kenna suggested, pulling the red thread on her design taut.

"Really?" Elinor replied, finally brightening a bit.

"This will be your home in a week."

Elinor deflated, "Oh, right." But she picked up her skirts and left the room. She wandered about the top floors of the castle, mainly finding bedrooms and servants that were all eager to help her. She walked through the throne room, studying the tapestries hanging on the walls, trying to discern the story behind each one. When she reached the front of the room, she looked around to see if anyone was watching. Thankfully, she was alone so she quickly walked up to the dais. She reached out and touched the throne that she would be seated on eventually. The wood was smooth with years of use, a brief wonder crossed her mind of how many other Lady DunBroch's had sat upon that throne.

A door opened behind her and Elinor quickly jumped off the dais, ducking down a random hallway. She didn't bother to see who had almost found her and continued walking through corridors in the lowest levels of the castle. She would take a turn as she wanted to, but she had no destination in mind. At least that was the case till she reached a large door at the end of the hallway.

Since there was nowhere left to go, she pulled on the iron ring, and the door opened with a burst of air as if it was sealed shut. There was no light save a small lantern on a wooden table; Elinor quickly lengthened the wick to cast more light. Her mouth dropped open and she smiled a little. Luckily, she had found the library.

The air smelled musty with paper and packed dirt of the floor. She picked up the lantern and walked around the room, gently running her fingers over the spines. The flickering light highlighted the golden lettering. She set the lantern on a higher shelf and took a book off of the shelf. The pages were worn and she gazed without really reading. She turned when the door creaked open.

"Lady Elinor!" Fergus said, immediately noticing her. He stood in the doorway and they looked at each other for a moment, neither saying anything. He carried a larger unlit lantern in one arm and a stack of books in another. Elinor quickly shut the one she had been paging through.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know if I was supposed to be down here."

"No, it's fine." Fergus said too quickly. "Just… surprised you managed to find it. Most people get lost on their way here."

Elinor nodded and replaced the book on the shelf as Fergus dropped his onto the table. She didn't want to tell him that it had been an accident; she didn't really want to talk with him at all.

"Ehh, do you…mind…?" he asked tentatively, holding out the lantern.

"Oh." She took the small one from the shelf and handed it to Fergus, their fingers just barely touching and she whipped her hand away. He lit the lantern, lighting the room more fully.

They were quiet as Fergus returned his books to their places on the shelves. Elinor knew that she should say something anything, but nothing came to mind. She pulled a random book off the shelf and pretended to read it, at least giving an excuse for the quiet.

"So…" Fergus began, and he paused, as if hoping that she would jump in. "I didn't know you could read."

"Excuse me?" Elinor asked, eyebrows rising. _Well, no wonder he doesn't want to talk to me, he thinks I'm stupid._ Fergus quickly back-pedaled,

"No, no, no! I didn't mean like that. It's just…eh…" he scratched the back of his neck and looked like he was trying to figure out what to say. "Well, I don't have any sisters, and Lorna MacGuffin doesn't really read much…" the excuse sounded pathetic even to Fergus, but it caused Elinor to wonder.

"Do you…were you and Lorna…betrothed?" she asked, haltingly.

"No, not at all. She's my best mate's sister." Fergus assured, swinging his arms about him. "So you don't have to worry about her being…"

"Being what?"

"Ah, jealous…" he said. Elinor's eyebrows lowered.

"Even if she was, I wouldn't be afraid of Lorna MacGuffin, she couldn't harm a fly."

"Well, that's true-"

"Mainly because the fly would outwit her." She snapped the book shut and put it back on the shelf. Fergus wondered for half a moment if he should defend Lorna, but he had to admit that she hadn't said anything but the truth. He noticed that she had left the room and he quickly ran after her. But he had to blow out the lantern, so he watched her go and turned back.

He wandered through the halls for a while, trying to look nonchalant and not succeeding. But he found her in one of the upstairs rooms, embroidering a large piece of cloth with her mother.

"Lady Macintosh. Lady Elinor." He nodded his head to the women. Kenna smiled wide, daring a glance at Elinor who had barely looked up.

"Yes, Lord DunBroch?" Kenna asked. Fergus looked from Elinor over to Kenna and rubbed the back of his neck.

"You know…eh, you can just call me Fergus. Most everyone does."

"Is there anything we can do for you, Fergus?" she asked, smiling again.

"I was just wondering…what you were…doing?" he knew it was a stupid question as he asked it, given that the task was literally lying at his feet.

"Embroidering a table cloth for the banquet next week."

Fergus nodded, and asked, "May I help you?"

"What?" Elinor blurted and quickly quieted with a stern look from Kenna. Fergus blushed anyway.

"Mum never had any daughters, so when I was a wee lad she had me help her. I got pretty good at the edges." He explained quietly, not daring a glance at Elinor.

"Well, then. We'd be delighted." Kenna said, ignoring Elinor's non-verbal warning signals. "That edge next to Elinor still needs finishing, and there's thread in the basket."

Fergus picked up a spool and needle and sat on the bench next to Elinor. She didn't look at him on principle for a few minutes but then accidentally glanced at his work. It was pretty good, especially for a man who hadn't embroidered since he was a child. She smiled a little at the absurdity of the brave Fergus DunBroch embroidering a tablecloth, the thin needle delicately clasped in his large hand. He noticed her looking at his work and her smile.

"Is it that bad?" he asked, frowning and studying the pattern.

"No, not at all." She said, quickly glancing away.

"It's not as good as the knot you've made." He pointed to the Celtic knot she had been working on. She had been pretty proud of how it was turning out, and a warm feeling bloomed in her stomach. She looked up at him and noticed for the first time how blue his eyes were.

"Thank you, …Fergus."

Kenna stared down at her own work to hide the large smile that had spread across her face.


	5. The Wedding

The wedding day was such a stressful and nerve-charged event that Fergus only remembered bits and pieces of it. He remembered Dirk waking him up that morning with a bucket of cold-water doused over his head, the rumble of all the clans from where he stood inside the castle. He remembered Elinor's entrance, and realizing that the handfasting ceremony was the first time that he had held her hand, or really touched her at all. She would glance up to him and quickly look away, but he couldn't see anyone else but her. At the end, he tied a strip of the DunBroch tartan cloth to a ribbon on her dress, signifying that she was now part of his clan. A loud cheer went up from the whole group, shaking the windows of the castle.

The feast was quickly laid out, Fergus and Elinor were seated next to each other at the high table. Their families sat to their immediate right and left. To Fergus, any progress that he had made with Elinor, which was small to begin with, seemed to have disappeared. She wouldn't look at him, or speak with him, just twisted her napkin nervously. Though he wasn't really sure what she had to be so nervous about, he wondered as he watched a group of small children chase each other about.

"Don't look so worried, my Lord!" a particularly drunk clansman shouted to him. "You'll have one of your own soon!" a few of his comrades cheered in agreement.

_Oh._

Elinor blushed and tried to pretend like she didn't hear. But it had been on her mind ever since the ceremony had ended, and even before. She'd heard stories about what happened to girls on their wedding nights, and they weren't happy endings.

"Shall we dance, Lady Elinor?" Fergus asked her, holding out his hand. The tables were being cleared away, and the musicians prepping their instruments. It was tradition for the bride and groom to start the first reel. She tried to smile and took his hand, trying not to think about later.

The movement patterns were familiar and comforting; sashay, sashay, skip, twirl, weave and repeat. The reel grew larger and larger till it seemed almost everyone was dancing. Fergus proved to be an excellent partner, very light on his feet for his stature. All Elinor had to do was simply let go and let him lead. For a moment, as the song and dance reached their peak, everything seemed all right. She smiled as he spun her around, holding her hands.

But the song ended all too quickly and the fears swept back in. As the evening progressed, the dancing and joy grew as Elinor felt more and more dreadful. Finally it reached the time when she could reasonably excuse herself. She found Fergus sitting on a low stool, telling a lively story to an ever-growing group of children and adults alike.

"But the oldest prince wanted to rule the land for himself! He followed his own path and the kingdom…FELL to chaos and ruin!" he paused when he saw her standing nearby. The adults also noticed her and quickly scattered the children.

"You don't have to stop for my account." She said, watching the kids run off. "I was just going to say, I'm going to retire for the evening."

Fergus nodded, "Good night." He said quickly. She looked at him for a minute more, then turned for the stairs. Fergus watched her go.

"What are you doing?" Dirk asked, appearing by his side.

"What?"

"Do you want evil spirits to come into your household when she steps across the threshold?" he asked, looking at Fergus like he was mad.

"There's no such thing as evil spirits."

"I don't think you'll want to risk it, not with your luck." Dirk pushed Fergus to the stairs. "Go!"

Fergus ascended, hoping not to draw too much attention, but several whistles and cheers followed him as he disappeared into the upper hallway.

"Lady Elinor!" he called, just as she was opening the door.

"Yes, Fergus?" she said, looking alarmed. He approached and suddenly all the words got mixed up in his mind.

"Eh…evil spirits…in your feet…" Elinor stared at him for a moment and then it dawned on her.

"Oh, right. Thank you." She smiled a bit and stepped closer. Fergus swiftly picked her up, gently cradling her in his arms, and carried her into the room. He set her down and stepped away. The bed suddenly seemed very imposing to both of them.

She avoided looking at him and walked towards the table, taking off her rings and the circlet from her head. Her mother had made sure that some of Elinor's things had been moved to this room, so she was able to pull out her own comb. She sat down on the bench and began working through the knots that always formed whenever she wore her hair down.

"Do you want some help with that?" Fergus sat down next to her. Elinor turned to him and almost said no, but she slowly handed him the comb and turned away. As he ran the comb through her hair, he couldn't help but notice how soft it was. He was slow and methodical, but even still the hair was brushed much too soon for his preference. It lay straight down her back, shining in the firelight. He chuckled.

"I wish my hair looked like that when I combed it." He muttered, scratching his own scalp. Elinor looked up at his curly fiery locks and got a determined look in her eye.

"Comb, please." He handed it to her, a confused look on his face. She got up on her knees and began tugging the comb through his hair. He winced when she hit a snag, and tried not to notice how close she was to him. Eventually, she tied a leather strip around the ponytail she had pulled it back into.

"Well?" he struck a noble pose. Elinor chuckled, scrunched up her nose and reached around to pull out the strip, letting the hair free again. It was just as wild as it had been before.

"It didn't suit you." She explained, putting away the comb. She took off the decorative belt that had been a gift from her father, and the last thing remaining was her dress, which she realized she needed help with removing. "F-Fergus?" she asked quietly. He turned, his several belts off and already in a long nightshirt. She blushed and looked away. "Can I have your help untying me?" she asked.

He swallowed and nodded, approaching slowly. She pulled her hair over her shoulder and he delicately tugged at the ties of the first knot. The second and then the third came undone and Elinor held the dress up to her front. Quickly she was freed and Fergus retreated, looking away and giving her some modesty. She slipped out of the dress, leaving her in her small clothes, and quickly ducked under the covers of the bed.

Fergus sat on the bed tentatively, daring glances at where she was sitting with the covers pulled up to her chin.

"Well…eh…" he said, taking steadying breaths and scratching the back of his neck again. "Good night." He finished quickly, extinguishing the candle and lying with his back to her. Elinor looked at the back of his head for a while, feeling a confusing mixture of relief and disappointment.


	6. Comfort and a Plan

Fergus awoke the next morning as the rising sun hit his face. He squinted and sighed, wondering if there was anything important that he had to be up for, or if he could simply roll over and sleep longer. As he heard a rustle and a deep breath, it hit him. He was married. He looked over at the still sleeping Elinor and his heart started racing. Though the night before had had its higher points, he felt that it would be better if he weren't there when she woke up on the first morning. So he slipped out of the bed, grabbed a quick change of clothes and headed downstairs.

It was early enough the most of the castle was still waking up; he grabbed an apple as he ducked through the kitchen. The morning air was still cool, and the grass retained its dew as he set out towards the practice field. Though he initially wanted to be alone, Fergus found himself relieved when he saw Dirk by the archery range.

"Fergus?" Dirk asked, as Fergus approached and finished his apple. "I'd have thought that you'd sleep the day away." Fergus didn't answer, just looked away. "Unless…"

"Unless what?" Fergus snapped, glaring back.

"I take it, it didn't go well."

"It didn't go at all." He admitted, dropping down on one of the bales of hay nearby.

"Really?" Dirk picked up another arrow and nocked it.

"It just- it didn't feel right. We hardly know each other." Fergus shook his head as Dirk drew his bow.

"Didn't stop my parents. They had an arranged marriage and I was born nine months later to the day." Dirk released the arrow and it flew over the target, landing in the grass beyond.

"Maybe I'm just a coward." Fergus said quietly. Dirk put down the bow and sat beside Fergus.

"If you're a coward, then I'm the best archer in the land."

"Archery's never been your sport." Fergus avoided the subject and nodded to the other arrows littering the ground at various lengths.

"Aye, I'm better at tossing cabers."

"Or holding up bridges." Fergus chuckled. Dirk smiled.

"Eh, what was I saying? Ah, yes. You are not a coward, Fergus of DunBroch. If you didn't think that it would be right, then it wouldn't have. Love takes time, a lot of time. It happens so slowly that you think it won't happen at all, and then all of sudden it's just there. And the only way to get through it is to follow your heart. You have a good heart, it'll lead you true in the end."

Fergus was quiet for a minute then looked to his best friend. "That was lovely. Do you think you could embroider that for me on a cushion?" Dirk rolled his eyes and grabbed the bow again.

"I just might." Dirk threatened, grinning, as he picked up another arrow.

"I feel like I need to shoot something to feel like a man again." Fergus stood up and stretched.

"You could just knock around Ean Macintosh again." Dirk gestured with the arrow to the figure of Ean cutting across the grounds to the dueling ring. "Though that might make things a little uncomfortable with the wife."

Fergus watched him for a minute and then an idea came to his mind.

"Actually, it might help…" he said starting after Ean. Dirk put down the bow and followed.

"Ean!" Fergus called, jogging up to the ring where Ean was warming up.

"Come for another challenge? Haven't had enough yet?"

"If it's anyone, it's you who's had enough." Dirk laughed and leaned against the railing.

"Dirk, please." Fergus glanced between his friend and his new brother. "Actually, I have a request or a favor to ask of you."

"Oh?" Ean sounded disinterested as he continued to stretch.

"I want to know more about Elinor."

"What?" the two other men replied in unison.

"We barely know each other, and I haven't been able to make much progress with her. Maybe if I knew more about her, her likes, her dislikes…it might help a bit."

"What makes you think I'll know? I'm her brother, not her bloody lady's maid." Ean picked up a sword and swung it in an arc.

"Please, Ean." But he paid no mind and continued to practice. Fergus jumped into the ring, quickly picked up another and met Ean's swing with a loud clang. "I want to make your sister happy, but I can't do that if I don't even know what to talk to her about."

Ean met his eyes and stared at him for a minute then looked down and let out a breath.

"Fine. She likes reading, stories and plays mostly. She's good at dancing, embroidery, drawing, history and public speaking. She doesn't have much patience for any of this." Ean gestured to the set-ups for the sports around them, and smiled. "She almost left the competition for her own betrothal, would rather have gone riding on Angus."

"Angus?" Fergus asked, losing hope that there would be one thing they could share a passion for together.

"Her horse. She's a very good rider too. Would live on the horse if Mum would let her."

The sun crested through the tall trees and the rest of the castle finally woke up as Fergus smiled.

"Ean, I have another favor to ask you."


	7. Farewell

**Author's Notes: **Surprise, surprise! My job has allowed me some time on a computer, and I had this scene bumbling around in my head for a while so here we are! Don't know when the next one will be up yet, but hey, it's not August...yet. :) Thanks for all the great reviews.

The day started like the ones had in the past two weeks. Fergus rose before the sun and escaped to the training grounds, avoiding any lingering awkwardness from the night before. Elinor woke up later, and was both parts relieved and disappointed by his absence. But unlike the past two weeks, breakfast that morning was a hurried affair, as packing preparations were happening all over the castle. The Macintosh clan was leaving.

Elinor traipsed after her mum, helping her pack and half-way pretending that she was leaving as well. But her belongings had long been moved to her new chambers shared with Fergus.

Both of the clans were solemn as they crowded around the docks to ship off. Friendships had been formed, as well as an alliance, not to mention they were leaving behind a beloved young lady. Elinor maintained a dignified expression as friends and familiar faces from her childhood bid her good-bye, or simply gave her a parting smile and a wish of good luck for her.

Ean gave her a bone-crunching hug, and tried to say something but thought better of it. So he simply nodded and boarded the ship, sitting down so he could still see her when they casted off. Col held Elinor for a minute, then stood back to look at her with a watery smile.

"My little one has grown too soon." he said, before he also nodded and boarded the ship, sitting next to his son. They shared an identical expression of poorly hidden sorrow. Kenna was the last one standing near. Elinor lost all pretenses of strength and threw her arms around Kenna's neck, a few tears escaping.

"Don't go." Elinor said. Kenna took a steadying breath.

"None of that now." Kenna forced herself to say. She stood back and cupped Elinor's cheek. "It won't be all bad, you'll see. Just give it a chance?"

At that moment, a loud laugh came from where Fergus and Dirk were saying good-bye. Elinor and Kenna glanced over.

"Give him a chance." Kenna finished, kissing her daughter's cheek as another yell came from the pair.

"So you're finally getting married?" Fergus proclaimed, gripping Dirk's shoulders as he grinned.

"Aye, couldn't let you have all the fun. It'll happen this coming spring. I would have told you sooner, but I didn't want to distract from the wedding..." he trailed off as Fergus noticed Elinor tearfully bidding good-bye to her family.

"I should probably go." Fergus clasped hands with Dirk. "But you take care, and congratulations, my friend."

"Do you think you'll come?" Dirk shouted after Fergus.

"Invaders from the sea couldn't keep me away!"

Fergus slowed as he approached Elinor and Kenna, they were finishing up their good-byes. Kenna pulled Elinor into a hug and then stepped back to look at Fergus. She held out her hand to Fergus, and brought his and Elinor's hands into an embrace.

"You must take care of each other, even if you don't feel any affection now. It will come if you work for it." she said, looking between them. Fergus glanced to Elinor, who was looking to him, and he nodded resolutely. "Let me give you the blessing my mother gave me when I married Lord Col. May you be poor in misfortune, rich in blessings, slow to make enemies, quick to make friends, but rich or poor, quick or slow, may you know nothing but happiness from this day forward. Till we see each other again."

Kenna placed another kiss on Elinor's cheek and then stepped onto the ship, sitting beside her son. The ships heaved off, Fergus raised a hand to Dirk who waved and Elinor's eyes never left her family's faces till they were too small to see. As the ships grew smaller, most of the clan left the docks till soon it was just Elinor and Fergus, standing hand in hand, watching as they disappeared on the horizon.

For a while, they were silent as the sounds of the waves and gulls surrounded them. Fergus watched Elinor, her mother's advice in his mind.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" he asked, quietly. Elinor slowly pulled her eyes away from the horizon to look to her husband, and quickly tried to hide a tear.

"No." she shook her head and extracted her hand, turning for the path back up to the castle. Fergus started following her, but something told him that she would be better off alone. So he watched her go with a worried feeling gnawing his gut.

To Be Continued...


	8. Progress

Elinor awoke the next morning to gentle knocking on the door to her and Fergus' chambers. She sleepily lifted her head and looked over to Fergus' side, which was absent and cold. The knocking continued and a voice called,

"Elinor?"

"Come in." Elinor rubbed her eyes and sat up as Lady Betha walked into the room, holding a breakfast tray. Elinor smiled meekly at her mother-in-law. "Fergus isn't here now."

"Oh, I know, dear. I saw him this morning at the crack of dawn out by the stables. Tis strange though, he wasn't much of a morning bird till lately."

Elinor tried to pretend that she didn't know the reason for Fergus's change of habit, but it worried in the back of her mind. Betha set the tray down in front of Elinor and sat on the edge of the bed.

"I thought I'd come and see how you are doing." she smiled slightly, and reached forward to pour the tea into two cups. "I remember when I was first married to Fergus's father, rest his soul. Though it was different for me, I was just moving from my father's house to the lord's house. Sugar, dear?"

"Ah, yes, please." Betha handed the cup to Elinor and took one for herself, delicately stirring the steaming tea.

"I think it was very brave of you." Elinor took a cautious sip.

"What was?"

"Joining a completely different clan by marrying my son."

"Well, I didn't have much of a choice in the matter." Elinor said, before thinking. She gasped and covered her mouth. "Lady Betha, I apologize, that was-"

"Truthful." Betha chuckled at Elinor's mortified expression. "You didn't have much of a choice in the marriage. Very few people do, especially of our station. But that doesn't make it any less brave. When I was first married, I was scared and nervous and worried all at once. There were so many new responsibilities and people looked at me differently. And being the wife of the future lord, I couldn't talk about any of it with my old friends. Am I getting close, dear?" Betha asked, with a twinkle in her eye. Elinor slowly nodded and held out the plate of sweet buns to Betha.

"A little too close. It's all so new and different."

"I think every newly married woman experiences this sort of thing. Some more than others. And in a way, I think it's a good thing."

Elinor looked up from the bun she had been picking at. "Good?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Betha nodded.

"Because in all of this uncertainty, and all these changes and doubts and worries, there will always be one person you can rely on: Fergus."

Elinor looked away and shook her head. "I don't know..."

"Listen, I'm not just saying this because I'm his mother, though I am." Betha smiled. "You're husband and wife now, he's the one you're going to be spending your life with, not your parents, and not me, though I do enjoy our time together. Not even your children, when they come."

Elinor blushed a little at the mention of children. Betha continued,

"Fergus can be a little shy, he's not a man of many words outside of his closest friends."

Elinor looked down and softly said, "I guess we're sort of alike in that way."

Betha smiled. "Well, it's a place to start. I promise you, that Fergus will do everything in his power to make you happy and show you love. But you are married, and that's also your duty as well."

Elinor met Betha's gaze and nodded solemnly. Betha's words stuck with Elinor as she went about the rest of her day and they were still on her mind as she was in her chambers that night, combing out her hair. Fergus quietly opened the door and was surprised.

"Oh, ah…you're awake." He grimaced to himself. Elinor managed a smile towards him.

"I waited for you." She admitted. Fergus's red eyebrows raised, and she held out her comb. "Would you mind helping me again?"

He coughed and quickly nodded, dropping on the bed behind her. He took the comb and gently pulled it through.

"How was your day?" Elinor asked, Betha's words in mind. Fergus was a little slow to respond.

"Fine…" he began. "It was a busy one, though."

There was a paused, and Elinor racked her brain for conversations that she had overheard her parents have.

"Preparing for the growing season?"

"Yes, that and a witch came in today, claiming all sorts of mad things. Threw the whole clan into a frenzy."

Elinor froze. "What kind of things?"

Fergus rolled his eyes as he remembered the woman. "That disaster was soon upon us, and other nonsense."

Elinor jumped around, eyes wide with fear. "Fergus, what if she was right?"

"No, no, it's fine." He reached out and rested his hands on her shoulders. "She claims something like this more often than not, and besides, there's no such thing as magic."

"You don't believe in magic?" Elinor asked, her eyebrows raising. Fergus shook his head. "The Will of the Wisps? Nothing?"

"It's all fairy stories, good to frighten children in their beds. Not much use in real life."

"Oh, Fergus." Elinor slightly shook her head, Fergus's hands still on her shoulders. "Magic…magic is what makes the world wonderful."

Fergus paused for a minute, gazing at her, and said, "I think my world is still fairly wonderful without it."

Elinor slowly smiled and nodded.

To Be Continued...

**Author's Note: **And we're back! Sorry for the delay in posting, my parent's wi-fi filter had fanfiction blocked for some reason...but all is well now. Thanks for all the favorites and don't forget to review. I love hearing your thoughts, even if they're critical or incoherent.


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